Onco Actu du 13 octobre 2017

	1. Biologie
Exploring the Role of Metabolism in Cancer [Cancer Research Catalyst] A mystery remained: If cancer cells need prodigious amounts of energy to build billions of progeny, why do they use a low-efficiency strategy for producing ATP?
Scientists pinpoint surprising origin of melanoma [VIB] The team was surprised to observe that these very aggressive tumors arise from mature, pigment-producing cells called melanocytes. As melanoma develops, these cells are eventually reprogrammed, lose their differentiated features and become invasive, migratory cancer cells.
	2. Etiologie
5 persistent myths about the causes of breast cancer [Cancer Research UK] Essentially, it’s very hard to prove a negative (which may be why the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has only ever classified one substance as probably not a cause of cancer in people). But the good news is there’s no reason to be concerned about the deodorants, bras, plastics and milk we encounter every day.
	3.1 Prévention - Tabac
Higher cigarette pricing encourages older smokers to quit [CA] Although cigarette price increases have been shown to discourage smoking in younger individuals, to the authors' knowledge this is the first study that demonstrates the effect in older smokers.
	4.11 Dép., diag. & prono. - Ovaire
Immune response to ovarian cancer may predict survival [USNW] Researchers led by the US Mayo Clinic and UNSW Sydney have found that patients with high-grade ovarian cancer showed the most infiltration with a type of white blood cell, which were associated with longer overall survival.
	4.12 Biopsies liquides
Liquid biopsy could lead to precision therapies for children’s eye tumors [STAT] “It’s ironic. The retinoblastoma gene … opened up a huge, huge area of research that benefited so many cancer patients,” Berry said. “But not retinoblastoma patients.”
A liquid biopsy for retinoblastoma [Children's Hospital LA] Study indicates proof of concept for using a surrogate liquid biopsy to provide genetic profile of retinoblastoma tumors.
	5. Traitements
New drug hope for patients with rare bone cancer [Sanger Institute] In the largest genomics study of chordoma to date, published today (12 October) in Nature Communications, scientists show that a group of chordoma patients have mutations in genes that are the target of existing drugs, known as PI3K inhibitors.
	5.1 Traitements - Pré-clinique
Johns Hopkins Scientists Develop Experimental “Nano-Chemo” Particle to Treat Bladder Cancer [Johns Hopkins] Working with mice and rats, Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a way to successfully deliver nano-sized, platinum-based chemotherapy drugs to treat a form of bladder cancer called nonmuscle-invasive that is found in the lining of the organ and has not invaded deeper into bladder tissue.
	5.12.1 Immunothérapies - partenariats
NIH allies with 11 top cancer biopharma players in $215M drive to explore biomarkers, speed R&D [EndPoints] The group plans to take a more systematic approach to biomarkers, finding out which work best for a broad range of potential indications while searching for new ones that can help drive fresh advances in targeting the right patient populations. And it wants a more standardized approach to the biomarker work that can be shared with the participants.
U.S. NIH, 11 drugmakers partner to accelerate cancer therapy research [Reuters] The Partnership for Accelerating Cancer Therapies, or PACT, will devote $215 million to identify and test chemical signatures in the body that will help predict which patients will benefit from cancer immunotherapy.
NIH partners with 11 leading biopharmaceutical companies to accelerate the development of new cancer immunotherapy strategies for more patients [NIH] Supports Cancer Moonshot goal to bring immunotherapy success to more patients in half the time.
To accelerate new cancer treatments, NIH will team up with pharma on immunotherapy research [STAT] The Partnership for Accelerating Cancer Therapies, or PACT, is a five-year agreement to push ahead with research that seeks to “identify, develop and validate robust biomarkers — standardized biological markers of disease and treatment response — to advance new immunotherapy treatments that harness the immune system to attack cancer,” the agency said.
	5.12.2 Immunothérapies - CAR-T
Averting toxic side effects from CAR-T cancer treatments [FierceBiotech] To identify the biomarkers, the research team closely tracked 133 patients participating in a trial of a CAR-T that was developed at Fred Hutch to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma or acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Biomarkers may help identify patients at increased risk of neurotoxicity from CD19 CAR T-cell therapy [ecancernews] Patients who experienced neurotoxicity were mostly younger and had B-cell ALL, higher tumour burden, and more CD19-positive cells in the bone marrow, compared with those who did not develop this side effect.
	5.2 Pharma
J&J takes another big step forward with next-gen prostate cancer blockbuster apalutamide [EndPoints] An approval here would position J&J to go into prostate cancer patients at an earlier stage, a key to expanding its franchise revenue.
	5.2.3 Pharma - économie
A Bit About Biopharma Investing [In the Pipeline] Almost invariably, the smaller the company (and the more desperate the disease) the more you have to scrutinize the data and announcements being made.
Medicxi kickstarts a new cancer drug developer with $19M launch round [EndPoints] The startup Janpix will look to become a recognized player with an inhibitor that can play a role in the tumor microenvironment — a hot field in oncology — where Gunning says STAT3 and STAT5 inhibitors demonstrate real promise in blood, brain and breast cancers.
	5.3 Traitements - FDA, EMA, NICE...
European drug regulation at risk of stalling as agency prepares to leave London [Nature] Post-Brexit plans to relocate the European Medicines Agency could trigger severe staff losses, its head has warned.
	5.3.4 Traitements - AMM (FDA, EMA)
Pembrolizumab Secures FDA Approval in Stomach Cancer [NCI] “Regrettably, there are still many patients who don’t respond,” Dr. Fuchs continued. The data suggest that there are “two opportunities” to change that. One, he said, “is to look at [pembrolizumab] in earlier lines of therapy, and the other is to figure out what [therapy] to partner with it to augment that response.”
	5.4 Traitements - Economie
NICE expands Bayer's Stivarga prospects with move from CDF [FiercePharma] How did Bayer swing the move? First off, it submitted evidence showing Stivarga can extend overall survival by more than 9 months compared with best supportive care. And secondly, it served up a confidential discount on the list price, which sits at £3,744 per three-week treatment cycle, or just under £180 per patient per day.
NICE gives final draft guidance on two key cancer drugs [Pharmafile] NICE has announced it has published its final draft guidance for two cancer treatments, covering Bayer’s Stivarga (regorafenib) in the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST), and Roche’s Erivedge (vismodegib) in the treatment of advanced basal cell carcinoma (BCC) that cannot be treated with surgery or radiotherapy.
We may soon have our first $1 million drug. Who will pay for it? And how? [STAT] The main concept the consortium is kicking around: value-based payments. They’re a form of money-back guarantee, in that patients or their insurers pay for the therapy only if it actually proves effective in reversing or managing their disease.
	6. Lutte contre les cancers
Curing cancer isn't always the goal. Sometimes you just want it to be a manageable chronic disease [LA Times] Unfortunately, the number of cancer types that can be turned into chronic diseases is still fairly small, but that will change, says Dr. John Glaspy, an oncologist at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA.
	6.10.1 Politiques (USA)
Health Insurance Rule Threatens Key Component of Standard Cancer Treatment [ASCO] The Trump administration’s move to expand the rights of employers to opt out of the requirement for contraceptive coverage would have unexpected and deleterious consequences for patients of child-bearing age with cancer.
	6.11 Patients
'If it's not normal for you, get it checked' [BBC News] Alison Farmer was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 40. Luckily, it was caught early. Here's the story of how she recovered - and went on to have her daughter.
Living With Cancer: Cancer Humor [NY Times] In Nina Riggs’s memoir “The Bright Hour,” she tells of commiserating with a friend who is also dealing with triple negative breast cancer. They imagine starting a business called Damaged Goods, which would sell a line of morbid thank-you cards.